A Master and his Bear
by YamiHeart
Summary: Had Kumajiro stayed home, he could have prevented this. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Now he'll make sure his master survives to smile again. Master/Servant/Friendship between Kuma and Canada. Guilty characters. Complete.
1. Help

_Heeeeeey everybody! Look, look! I have a new story! It even has MULTIPLE CHAPTERS! Most of which are already done! Amazing, right?_

_The chapters will vary in size and updated daily. This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but… it worked better split up. _

_The only warning I can think of right now would be emo-ness. You'll see what I mena if you read._

_I don't own Hetalia and I hope you enjoy. ^^ _

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><p>Walking through the icy Canadian forest Kumajiro couldn't help but have a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had gone out by himself to enjoy being a polar bear and it had actually gone pretty well. It had taken a while to find other polar bears and even longer to find ones that didn't yell at him. Kumajiro held nothing against the bears who had snapped at him. After all, ice had been melting at an alarming rate and food was getting harder to find. Despite the horrible conditions, Kumajiro had found an older bear who had allowed him to hunt with her. In the end Kumajiro had given her the few fish he had caught and, after swearing with bears honor that he had plenty of food back at his home, she took it gratefully.<p>

Now he was heading back to the home with plenty of food and a doting -yet tad forgettable- master. Thinking about the violet-eyed man who had taken care of him before the bear could remember made the bad feeling grow only worse. He didn't like that. His master was always kind, no matter how many times he was asked his identity or ignored. Kumajiro would ask his master who he was, but not because he forgot. No, he asked so that his master wouldn't fade away.

Always being forgotten had taken its toll on his master's mind and confidence. More times than Kumajiro could count on his paws his master had started to give up on living since no one bothered to notice him. It was at these times Kumajiro would ask, "Who are you?" to which his master always responded, "I'm Canada" and gain some confidence again. Was his master feeling down again?

Picking up his pace, Kumajiro breezed through the forest and approached the log cabin he called home. After squeezing through the specially made bear door (it was really just a big cat door), Kumajiro searched the house for his master. The kitchen? Empty. Living room? Empty. Bathroom? Empty. Dining room? Empty. That was the first floor, but what about the second floor…?

Bedroom? Occupied. His master was there! Face down. On the floor. Not moving. Why wasn't his master moving?

Padding over, Kumajiro whined and tickled the blonde with his cold nose. Usually this would make his master giggle, even while asleep, and move around. There was no movement this time. A knot started to form in Kumajiro's stomach.

His nose still not getting any reaction out of his master, the little bear grabbed the back of the man's shirt and pulled with all his might. His master was flipped over and Kumajiro was thrown onto his butt. He barely registered being tossed aside and rushed back to his master.

His master's face was so pale. The man's skin never colored very well, but his cheeks were usually a fare shade of pink. Now they held no color and his violet orbs were hidden behind his eyelids. Kumajiro put his ear to his master's neck and, _thankfully_, heard a pulse. A faint pulse, but a pulse nonetheless. Now if only he could figure out what was wrong…

Kumajiro moved his paw and it ran into something wet. Looking down, his eyes found the missing color that was supposed to be in his master's cheeks spilling out on the ground and staining his paw. That was bad. That was _very, very _bad. How had he not noticed the blood before? Where was it coming from?

His gaze searched for the source of the red liquid and saw some movement coming from his master's wrists. Thinking hard, Kumajiro vaguely remembered hearing that people would slit their wrists to end their lives. If that's what his master had done… oh, how did his master fall so fast while he was gone for only a day?

His panicking thoughts screeched to a halt. His master was still clinging to life and there was a hospital not too far from the house. He couldn't call for help with a phone since he couldn't figure out the buttons or speak in a language humans could understand. Unlike a barking dog, people would just run away from a growling polar bear. To make things worse, Kumajiro was too small to bring his master anywhere on his own.

Wait. On his own, he couldn't bring his master to the hospital, but perhaps with a little bit of help…

Dashing out of the home as fast as possible, Kumajiro traveled through Canada to the small den he had found the elder polar bear at earlier. He found her munching away on the fish he had caught.

"_Nita!" _Kumajiro cried out in the language many animals used to communicate with each other.

Nita, the female polar bear Kumajiro had met earlier, slowly lifted her head and nodded. _"Hello Kumajiro. What brings you back here?"_

Kumajiro used his claws to stop himself and, panting heavily, replied. _"Nita, I need your help! My master is dying!"_

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa." _Nita put her fish aside and brought her full attention to Kumajiro. _"What are you talking about? What master?"_

Kumajiro shook his head. _"There's no time to explain while sitting around! I'm too small to carry my master to where humans get their wounds treated!"_

"_And you think I can help? My bones aren't what they used to be."_

"_PLEASE! He's… He's all I have Nita! I can't lose him! Not after how long we've been together!" _

Nita stared deep into Kumajiro's desperate eyes before once again nodding. _"I can be of no assistance to you, but I know a few bears that will be helpful." _

Nita let out a few growls and the same growls were echoed back to her much louder. Great big polar bears emerged from all over and circled around Kumajiro and Nita. Kumajiro recognized many of the faces belonging to bears who had yelled at him earlier to get lost.

"_They will help you." _Nita assured him. _"After all, you helped me, their elder, today. All you have to do is lead the way."_

Kumajiro wanted to thank Nita with all his heart, but he knew time was slipping away from him. The polar bears parted so he had a clear path to run and Kumajiro bolted. This caught the other polar bears by surprise because none of them had ever seen one of their own move so fast. As they began to run after him, they found that they also were moving much faster than normal. They could not explain the phenomenon and Kumajiro was too worried to notice his speed. All that mattered was his master.

By the time he had returned to the log cabin, the sun was starting to set. The odds that his master was still alive were slim, but Kumajiro knew he couldn't give up now. The stronger polar bears broke the door down and followed Kumajiro up to the bedroom.

After quick checking to see if his master was still breathing (check) and still had a pulse (check), Kumajiro gave the okay for the polar bears to carefully put his master on their backs. Metal clattered to the ground and as the rest of the bears focused on getting the unconscious man down the stairs, Kumajiro inspected the knife his master had been holding. Deciding it would be best to leave the bloody blade untouched, Kumajiro went back to directing the rest of the polar bears.

Getting out the way they came in, Kumajiro led the dozen polar bears behind him to a local clinic his master had visited a few times before. The celebration charged into the building, sending the place into hysterics. Kumajiro signaled for the other bears to stop and approached the front desk. He smacked the counter with his paw to get the already frightened lady's attention and gestured for his master to be shown.

The woman was shocked, to say the least. She recognized him as Mathieu Williams, a quiet man who lived only a few miles from the clinic. Seeing the blood all over him made her eyes go wide as her hand shot toward the intercom. She called for any available personal to come to the front to help the injured man and everyone who came was just as surprised and terrified as the woman who had called them.

Hesitantly, the nurses went over to the polar bears and took Mathieu away. Once the unconscious man was wheeled away, most of the polar bears left. The smallest one, however, stayed. He had left the front desk and was seated nervously (?) in the waiting room. Anyone who wasn't taking care of Mathieu watched the small bear in awe.

"Isn't he that tiny bear Mr. Williams always carries around?"

"I think you're right! Do… you think he mauled Mr. Williams?"

"No way! Can't you hear what they're screaming in the other room? Mr. William's wrists were slit!"

"Oh no… poor Mr. Williams…"

Kumajiro heard their whispers, but didn't really care. All his mind was focused on was his master and his quick recovery.

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><p><em>Notes about this chapter:<em>

_~The reason Kumajiro can move so fast across Canada is because he's a national pet. I figured the other polar bears got a burst of speed too because they were helping Kuma get Matty to safety. If you still can't suspend your belief, sorry. _

_~I went to a random name generator and asked for a female Native American name and the first one I got was Nita, which actually means "bear" in Choctaw. Cool, eh?_

_Next chapter: Three countries are coming to the hospital. Who? You can probably guess, but I refuse to tell. _

_Please review! It'd make my day! I'd also enjoy if you came back for the rest of the story! ^^ _


	2. Family

_Just like I said, here's the new chapter! I'd like to thank the anonymous reviewer who commented on the first chapter, __**anon**__. Since you were anonymous, I couldn't reply! If you're still reading this, today you'll see if your guess was right._

_I'd also like to thank __**loveboylove**__ (again) and all the __**Canadian people**__ who read this. _

_Warnings for this chapter? GUILT. GUILT, GUILT, GUILT. Plus, it's considerably longer than last chapter._

_I don't own Hetalia and I hope you enjoy this chapter. ^^_

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><p>Of course, news of a dozen polar bears bringing a dying man into the hospital traveled quickly. Video cameras in the clinic had caught the whole thing and in the matter of hours the footage was all over the world. Buzz over the incident started in no time and it wasn't long before three personified countries caught wind of the news.<p>

Arthur Kirkland had heard the news from TV. It struck him as odd that polar bears would do such a thing, but when he saw the footage of the incident and a bloody Mathieu on the animal's backs he bolted for Canada.

Alfred Jones had heard it from Arthur, who had called not long after he started his trek to the northern country. Alfred had at first been shocked by the news that he had a little brother and even more stunned to discover he had not protected the man from harm like all heroes (and big brothers) should. He dropped the burger he had been munching and headed in the direction Arthur told him.

Francis Bonnefoy, on the other hand, had found out by listening to his children's chatter. He had idly been sipping wine in a café when two women caught his eye. He was going to start flirting with them in hopes of having a threesome that night when one of their comments caught more of his attention than their boobs.

"I bet Mathieu trained all those polar bears to bring him to the hospital. The whole thing looks like a cry for attention if you ask me. I mean, what would make a dozen polar bears carry a dying man into a hospital?"

As the woman's friend nodded, Francis found himself gripping both their shoulders.

"If I may ask," He started smoothly. "Who is this 'Mathieu' you speak of?"

The woman who he had heard speak answered, "Haven't you heard? There was a man up in Canada named Mathieu Williams who was carried into a clinic by polar bears! Sounds fishy to me. What-" Before she could even finish, Francis had paid for his drink and left the building. He needed no directions for he would find his petite Mathieu no matter what.

The three blonde men all crashed into the small clinic at once and demanded to see Mathieu. Their demands were drowned out by the hundred other voices that wanted the same thing. The poor woman behind the desk was shouting at the top of her lungs that he wasn't even done being treated yet and the only people that would be able to see him after the doctors and nurses had cleared out were family.

From his seat Kumajiro could see the three men his master considered family pushing their way to the front. All he could do was narrow his eyes at them. He blamed himself mostly for what happened to his master. Had he been there instead of fishing he could have prevented all that blood from being spilt. Still, the bear knew the fault also fell on the nations that always forgot and ignored the man he cared about. He decided he would not vouch for them if anyone asked if they were truly his master's family.

Getting to the front of the crowd had been hell, but somehow Alfred, Francis, and Arthur had made it. Trying to get the woman behind the counter's attention proved to be even more difficult, but the fact that two of the men had obvious traits similar to Mathieu finally caught her eye.

"How can I help you three?" She asked as politely as possible despite the stress she was feeling.

"We're here to see Mathieu." The three said in unison, thus making all of them cringe slightly.

The woman sighed. "Isn't everyone? Look, if you want to see him, you better be family."

At this, Alfred laughed. "I'm the hero! I don't need to be family!"

"You dumb git! You are his family! You're his older brother! I'm very sorry ma'am. My name is Arthur Kirkland and I am Mathieu's father."

Francis scoffed. "As if Arthur. If it's not obvious, _I'm_ Mathieu's papa."

"You _were_ his father!" Arthur argued. "Now, I am!"

Both dads were now posed fight. "You won't be his papa if you're dead!"

Kumajiro couldn't take this any longer. The people his master considered family were idiots and would probably tear the whole hospital down if he didn't stop them. If they ripped the building apart, his master would never recover and Kumajiro couldn't have that.

He scooted off his chair and went over to the crazy scene. Both Arthur and Francis were on the floor chocking each other while Alfred was laughing and the poor woman at the front desk was trying to get the fighting to stop while also making sure none of the press got beyond her.

Though he traveled silently, he caught the attention of everyone. Kumajior had been sitting behind the front desk, so none of the press could get to him before. Still, they fell silent as the bear stepped forward toward the three men who had caused even more commotion.

A gentle smile spread onto the frazzled woman behind the desk's face as she asked, "Can I help you little bear?"

Kumajiro nodded and proceeded to bite Alfred, Arthur, and Francis. The three men cried out in protest and rubbed the wounds they had received. More people took photos of the scene than people who cared about the three blondes' injuries.

"Oh! Are they Mathieu's family?" The woman found it only slightly strange that she was asking a polar bear all these things, but things had gotten so crazy in a few hours that she found herself trusting the arctic mammal and whatever it seemed he was telling her.

There was a few seconds hesitation before Kumajiro nodded again. If… _when_ his master woke up, he'd be upset after discovering Kumajiro lied about who was family. Why his master would be troubled over such a sucky family the bear could not figure out.

The woman turned to the injured men, her smile faltering. "You can wait with the polar bear over there." She pointed to the seats behind her where Kumajiro had been sitting earlier and returned to keeping the increasingly active press back.

Kumajiro sauntered back to his chair. When he sat down he saw that Alfred, Francis, and Arthur were frozen in their spots.

"Are you coming or not?" Kumajiro asked flatly. If they decided to stand there the whole time it'd be fine by him. He still didn't like his master's "family".

Since they were countries and Kumajiro was a national pet they could understand what he said and made their way over to the blue chairs. Alfred was the only one to sit down next to the bear, the others too nervous to stay put on the hard plastic. Arthur openly showed his anxiety by pacing back and forth while Francis leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Please stop that incessant pacing Angleterre," Francis' snapped. He had tried to look calm, but Arthur's constant movement was enough to get under the Frenchman's skin in his current state.

Arthur did stop, but only so he could glare at Francis. "Unlike you, I'm worried about Mathieu! So stop bothering me while I try to calm down!"

Francis pushed off the wall and brought his fists to his sides. "I can guarantee I am more worried about mon petit Mathieu than _you_." The venom that laced his voice even made Alfred flinch.

The men once again got ready to fight. Kumajiro was sure his master's fathers could not go five minutes in the same room without starting a fight. Perhaps they got sick if they weren't at each other's throats.

"How dare you, you frog!"

"Arthur, Francis?" Alfred piped in, uncharacteristically nervous. "You probably shouldn't fight in here."

Kumajiro turned to the American, surprised such a smart conclusion could come from such an idiotic and annoying man. Alfred had never seemed to mature to Kumajiro in all the time he knew his master's brother, but now he noticed the man looked as though he had aged fifty years. The sudden change saddened the bear. It proved his master's state was as bad as he thought.

"Not now Alfred!" The fighting dads yelled at once. They had gotten close enough where punches could be thrown and it angered Kumajiro.

"Why did you come here?" The sudden question turned all eyes to the white bear who had asked it so coldly.

"We came here to see Matty." Alfred answered for everyone. "We heard one way or another he had gotten taken to the hospital by a group of polar bears!"

"So you don't know why he was brought here?" Silence was the answer Kumajiro received. He sighed, not eager to retell the state he had found his master in. "I found Master in his room after a day of fishing. His… wrists were slit."

The silence grew heavier with grief and disbelief. Slit wrists were a sign of depression, which meant…

"Non! Someone must have broken into the house and done it! I would have known if something was wrong with mon Mathieu!" The venom that had earlier coated Francis' voice was replaced with desperation. Not many people noticed Mathieu, but he saw him more than anyone!

"Would you?" All three wanted to say yes without a doubt, but found it was impossible. Kumajiro continued. "Were any of you by his side when he came home from a World Meeting feeling worthless? Did any of you assure him you'd miss him if he disappeared? How can you call yourselves his family when you only see him when he's hit rock bottom?" He looked away, unable to continue because of the anger rising within him.

However, the bear had said enough. The questions had left all three men with guilt clawing at their hearts. They _hadn't_ been there for the quiet Canadian. _At all_. They didn't listen to him. They didn't _look_ at him. They wouldn't have known he was in the hospital if he his polar bear vehicle hadn't been all over the news.

Inside they all knew one thing: Mathieu deserved better.

It was a while before anyone found their voice, and Arthur was the first. "How… how long has he been like this?"

Kumajiro thought, trying to remember the first time his master fell apart. "A few years… a few years after Alfred gained independence."

_Flashback~_

"_I'm just a replacement Kuni. The way Arthur looks at me… I know all he sees is Alfred! He'd be much happier if I had fought for independence and Alfred had stayed… When… when do you think Francis will come back?" Mathieu stared into Kumajiro's eyes before whispering, "He's never coming back for me, is he?" His master buried his head in Kumajiro's fur as he cried. _

_End Flashback~_

It had been crushing to see his master like that then, and it was crushing to remember his master like that now. All he could think after the memory was, _"He finally came back Master."_

"Hundreds… hundreds of years he's been breaking?" Arthur sat down and put his head in his hands. He felt as though he was the only one to blame. He was in charge of Mathieu during the beginning of his spiral down. He should have noticed and he should have comforted the country.

Francis also sat down, feeling just as much guilt as Arthur. He should have fought harder for his Mathieu. Even if he still lost Mathieu he should have visited him every day to make sure he was okay. Francis wanted to blame Arthur, but he couldn't. Not this time. He was the first to make Mathieu his responsibility. He should have taken better care of him.

Alfred felt bad, but not as bad as Arthur and Francis. He was Mathieu's big brother _and_ he was a hero. He had every qualification to keep his brother feeling loved. So, instead of thinking what he should have done, he thought about what he _could_ do. He _would_ get people to listen to Matty at World Meetings and he _would _visit him often and-

Alfred shot up from his seat, his eyes wide in panic. The guilty men and the polar bear stared at him, but Alfred only looked back at Kumajiro.

"You… you said Matty slit his wrists, right? How was he doing when you last saw him? Was he still breathing? How much blood did he loose?" These questions were important since Alfred couldn't help his brother if he was… _dead_.

Guilt-fueled thoughts vanished as Francis and Arthur also realized they had no idea the condition Mathieu was in. That was what was important right now, not what they hadn't done for the boy.

"He lost quite a lot," A male voice sad from down the hall. "But he's still breathing."

All attention was brought to the dark-skinned man in a doctor's uniform coming to the waiting area. Arthur and Francis stood up as the man approached, eager to find out more and see Mathieu. The man went to Kumajiro without even hesitation and bent down to look the bear in the eyes.

"He's lost enough blood to kill the average human, but he obviously isn't average. Had he been brought here any later it would have been too late. It's thanks to you and your friends that he's still among the living. He probably won't wake up for a while as his body recovers. Would you still like to see him?"

Kumajiro nodded as Arthur tried to get the man's attention by asking, "Can we see him too? We're his family."

"This little bear and his friends saved Mr. Williams life." The doctor stood up and motioned for Kumajiro to follow him. "He will see him first."

Francis got ready to argue when Alfred stopped him. "We'll wait. He deserves to see Matty first. He's saved Matty's life for hundreds of years."

The man didn't get what Alfred meant and didn't care since it kept Arthur and Francis quiet. Kumajiro was already ahead of the doctor because he was not going to wait any longer to see his master.

The man caught up and showed Kumajiro to his master's room. What the bear saw reminded him of hospital scenes on TV.

There was his master, lying motionlessly on the bed that was barely whiter than him. Blood was being pumped into his arm via an IV and a heart monitor beeped reguraly. The light that shined down made his master glow in an otherworldly way. Kumajiro drew closer and saw gauze wrapped around both of his master's wrists. He struggled briefly to get on the bed, but with a little help from the doctor he was able to curl up at his master's side.

As he watched, the doctor realized he had just blown of Mr. William's family to let a bear snuggle up to the man, yet he felt like he had done the right thing. Besides, he didn't keep the others waiting long and led them to the room after the bear had fallen asleep.

The three countries felt as though they were looking at Mathieu for the first time when they went into his hospital room, and it wasn't because his glasses were on the side table. His sleeping form and bandaged wrists all but screamed at them how close they were to losing him. In fact, if Mathieu hadn't been a country, they would have lost him for sure. His country status was most likely the only thing that kept him alive long enough to get help.

"Merci Kumajiro," Francis muttered as he lightly petted the bear. He believed he owed the animal a big debt. If not for Kumajiro, no matter how long being a country helped Mathieu hold on, he wouldn't have made it. Now, because of the Canadians only friend, Francis and the rest of Mathieu's family had a chance to make everything better.

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><p><em>Notes:<em>

_~The girls Francis talks to are speaking French, but since I know about 10 French words, I decided I'd just write it in English instead of using Google Translate._

_~I did use a few French words though, so if you're completely at a loss for what Francis is saying I'd be glad to clear it up for you. ^^_

_~The flashback was the first time Matty felt like shit. I wasn't sure if that was obvious… _

_~It seems I never give the extra characters love. The lady behind the desk and Doctor Man don't even have real names! *cries* _

_Next Chapter: Matty awakes! Dun DUn DUN! _

_Love it if you commented and favorite and/or even subscribed! Critiques are also welcome~. _

_Until next time! Thanks for reading! :D_


	3. Death or a Dream?

_Bu bu bu! Another chapter right here folks! It's shorter than last chapter, and not exactly exciting. I'm not a huge fan of this chapter and it was a pain in the ass to write. *sigh* Sorry. I think the next chappy will be better._

_Silly __**anon**__! I said I was updating every day, remember? ^^ You're reviews always make me smile, so thanks for leaving them!_

_This time… I want to thank the __**Polish**__ and __**German**__ people who read this! :D_

_Don't own Hetalia… blah, blah, blah… please enjoy! _

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><p>Mathieu's eyes fluttered open and he lazily looked around at the ceiling. He couldn't see very well, but what he could see was very… <em>white<em>.

"Am I… dead?" Mathieu lifted his arms and saw his wrists wrapped up. He supposed that the afterlife would bandage you up so that you didn't bleed as you walked around. It made sense. Sort of.

He felt really warm on his sides and tilted his head down to see what the source was. His breath hitched when he saw Alfred, Arthur, and Francis (_three_, three whole people) asleep in chairs at the foot of the bed. Seeing them confused him only more.

"I must be dreaming… or even dead. I could still be dead. Maybe when you die you finally get what you desired."

He felt movement to his left and squinted to make out a white bear among the sheets. He remembered owning a white bear, but its name always…

"Kumajiro?" Never mind. It appeared he knew the name to his polar bear as well. He was pretty sure he usually got it wrong when he was still alive.

The bear's head lifted up and his gaze locked with Mathieu's. "You're awake master. How are you feeling?"

"Master" was new. Kumajiro usually just asked "Who?" Mathieu was ninety-nine percent sure he was dead now. "Um… fine, I guess. May I ask where I am? None of the world's religions that I can recall said that death was like this."

Kumajiro appeared to frown. "You aren't dead. You're in the hospital." The heart monitor chose then to blare into his ear along with the shouts of nurses and what sounded like a giant crowd.

"B… But how?" Mathieu's voice gradually got louder and stirred his family from their sleep, but he didn't notice. "I know I slit my wrists! I collapsed from blood loss! I was on the ground forever! The only way I could have survived was if someone found me, and no one-"

"Shhhhhhhh, it's alright mon Mathieu." Strong arms wrapped around the trembling Canadian and held him tightly. "We know what happened."

"And it's not because we found you." Arthur added sadly. Mathieu turned to face him the best he could in Francis' grip. "Your bear here was the one who found you and explained everything to us."

"I… I don't understand. How could Kuma…?"

"You won't believe this Matty!" Alfred's smile didn't hold its usual life, and almost seemed a bit strained. "You were carried into this hospital by a whole bunch of polar bears! The whole world's talking about it!"

If anything, Mathieu was only more confused. "Carried in… by polar bears…?"

Kumajiro went to Mathieu and put his paw on the man's left hand. "I found you on the floor and got some polar bears to help me get you here." Master and bear's eyes met and said what words could never truly get across. Tears sprang into Mathieu's eyes as he pulled out of Francis' arms and grabbed the small bear.

It felt wrong for Alfred, Arthur, and Francis to watch their family member break down before them. They all knew what they were seeing had happened hundreds of times without them and that was the part that made it feel wrong. This _shouldn't_ have been the first time they were witnessing Mathieu cry into his bear. It had taken slit wrists and polar bears for them to see the tears and it caused all of their hearts to squeeze in pain.

The men waited in silence for Mathieu's sobs to turn to wet hiccups. Arthur pulled out a cloth from his pocket and went to dry his son's cheeks. Mathieu let him only because he was too shocked to move. Alfred took the opportunity to take Mathieu's glasses off the side table and place them over his brother's eyes. The world became clearer, but no more believable.

Seeing his family's faces so clearly brought more tears to the Canadian's eyes. They were seeing him, paying attention to him, interacting with him… hell, _they were seeing him_. That alone was enough to make Mathieu cry until he fell asleep.

And for a few days, the process was repeated every time Mathieu woke up. It took a week to accept he wasn't dreaming or dead. Different countries came every day and Mathieu was hesitant but kind around all of them. He was even wary of his family, who took shifts throughout the day, every day to stay by his side. Kumajiro easily noticed his master's hesitance and asked what was wrong one night when no visitors were allowed (Kumajiro never left Mathieu and none of the staff at the hospital minded).

"I just… I know they'll all forget me again Kuma. The other countries notice me now, but as soon as I leave this hospital they'll look right through me again. Even… even Alfred, Arthur, and Francis… I force myself not to wait for any of them to return in case the next day is the one they forget me."

Kumajiro curled into his master as a way to comfort the man while he pondered what had been said. The fear his master had was understandable and Kumajiro had been wondering how long it would take before the visits stopped. The bear desperately wanted the family to continue coming, if only for his master's sanity.

Later, while Mathieu was sleeping, Kumajiro relayed the information to all three family members, who had also noticed how careful Matt was being. Hearing Mathieu's words had been saddening, but not surprising. If anything, it had showed them how damaging their neglect had been on Mathieu.

"Well, _I'm _not going to forget Matty!" Alfred declared confidently. He pulled up his jacket sleeve and showed his arm to the group. "I even wrote his name on my arm with permanent marker!"

Francis wasn't very impressed. "You spelled it wrong. It ends 'ieu' not 'ew'."

"But I asked Arthur how to spell it and he said 'M. A. T. H. E. W.'."

An argument arose over how the name was spelled and Kumajiro became confident that his master was going to be forgotten in no time at all.

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><p><em>Notes:<em>

_~Awww, I made Matty remember Kuma's name! I think it fits the story better if Mathieu remembers his bear's name (and I can't constantly think of weird names for Canada to use ^^;)._

_The chapter was so short and practically uneventful that I don't have much to say. Sorry everyone. _

_Next chapter: Kumajiro returns to the polar bears! (see? Much more eventful. Please come back!)_

_Reviews, favorites, and watches are loved~ 3 _


	4. Thank you

_*crying tears of joy* You are all the best readers ever! I tell you I don't like the chapter I've written and I get the most favorites and story subscriptions for this story yet! My confidence went up about a million percent because of you all! _

_I believe it's time I thanked my __**American**__ readers, who gave me the most hits and emails to see in my inbox. I also thank my reader from __**Guam**__, my reader from __**Mongolia, **__my many readers in the __**UK**__, and those from __**Spain**__. Dear Ra all of you readers are awesome!_

_This chapter has a lot of dialogue, so be prepared!_

_No own Hetalia, please enjoy. ^^_

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><p>A few more days passed and Mathieu was due to leave the hospital soon. Kumajiro didn't mind staying by his master's side for so long and would have continued doing so if there wasn't something he needed to take care of.<p>

Getting out of the hospital bed for the first time in days was much harder than Kumajiro had predicted and he almost fell on his head because of it. "Almost" thanks to a nurse's quick reflexes.

"Whoop! Be careful Kumajiro!" Everyone in the hospital knew Kumajiro's name by that time. It always took a few more second for Kumajiro to reply when his name was used because he wasn't used to people saying it.

The male nurse gently placed Kumajiro on the ground and went to the sleeping Mathieu to change his bandages. The bear stretched quickly to avoid any other potential injuries and left the room. He stopped in front of Francis and swiped the man's leg to get his attention.

"Ow! What was that for Kumajiro?"

"I have to leave for a little bit. Can you tell my master I'll be back soon when he wakes up?"

Rubbing his barely injured leg, Francis nodded. "Sure, but where are you going?"

"If I wanted you to know I'd ask you to come with me." Kumajiro continued his way out of the hospital, ignoring the slightly aggravated look Francis was giving him.

The amount of people who wanted to see "The Miracle Man!" had diminished since the time Mathieu had first arrived, but enough of them were around to still be annoying. Seeing Kumajiro sent them into a frenzy of picture taking and a few of them even started to ask questions. Kumajiro simply tuned the press out until they refused to let him leave.

The questions and flashes came to a screeching halt when Kumajiro carefully aimed so that his full bladder was released only on the press and not the hospital floor. Those who got it ran out of the building and most of the people left worked with those who had left and had no choice but to also depart. In no time at all the hospital was considerably less crowded and the woman at the front desk could relax.

Happy with the results, Kumajiro exited the hospital and headed back to Nita's place. The land was almost deserted with only Nita remaining. She greeted Kumajiro warmly with her nose.

"_I thought you'd be coming around. That's why I waited for you."_

What Nita said confused Kumajiro. _"Waited for me? Why were you waiting? Where are all the other bears?"_

"_They've already left."_

"…_Huh?"_

Nita looked out into the distance sadly. _"This area has run out of enough fish to feed all of us. I informed the other bears where the next place we should head is and sent them on their way. I waited for you so that you wouldn't be searching endlessly for us."_

"_I… see. So the fish I had caught last time…"_

"_Were the most I had eaten in a while, yes. I am getting older and I can't hunt as well anymore. My clan would like to feed me at times like this, but they never have enough food to sustain me and them. They were all very grateful that you fed me, Kumajiro." _

Kumajiro was slightly embarrassed by the thanks. _"It was nothing compared to what your clan did for me."_

"_Is that what you think? You saved me by supplying food and we saved your friend by getting him to a place where his wounds could be healed. I think the exchange was fair."_

"_How did you know my master was okay?"_

"_Your aura would have been much sadder had he not made it." _Nita pushed some of the snow out of the way to reveal a small flower sprouting to life._ "That, and the land has returned to its former life." _

Kumajiro's eyes widened. _"You… you know about what my master is?"_

Nita nodded. _"Of course. The bears of our clan have passed down the story of an ancient polar bear that looked like a cub and serves the land we walk on. I knew the moment I saw you that you were this polar bear and your friend you cared about so much the land we walk on."_

"_Mathieu." _The correction came out of Kumajiro's mouth instinctively. _"My master's name is Mathieu and he is the personification of Canada."_

"_I see. Well, I know the clan will be glad to hear Mathieu made it."_

"_I still owe you all even if I saved your life with fish." _Nita tilted her head to the side. She couldn't imagine why Kumajiro still owed them and when she didn't say anything he continued. _"Because of your clan my master gained attention from the whole world. A bunch of bears walking into a place for humans causes a lot of commotion. The buzz caught the attention of my master's family and for the first time in… forever they noticed him. I believe his family being around has made him heal faster and that is why I owe you."_

The explanation did nothing for Nita. _"I cannot imagine family not paying attention to one another."_

Kumajiro sighed. _"I didn't know it could happen either until master took me in. I would maul the people master calls 'family' if it would not cause him more pain." _

If bears could chuckle then Nita would_. "It is obvious to me your master will be fine as long as you are around. I believe you are the man's family, not men who forget him."_

In turn, if bears could blush then Kumajiro's cheeks would be bright red. _"That's very kind of you to say Nita."_

"_It is simply the truth. Now go back to your family Kumajiro. He still needs you."_

"_But-"_

"_Your debts have been paid. If your master's health didn't improve so fast I'd never have found a new place for my clan to eat."_

"_If you're sure…"_

"_I am. Now go. I also must leave to catch up with my clan." _Both bears nodded and went back to their families with light hearts and stories to tell.

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><p><em>Notes:<em>

_~I love it when Nita tells Kumajiro that he's Mathieu's family because I think that's true. The rest of Mathieu's "family" kind of sucks._

_Next Chapter: The Conclusion! (I know! It's almost over already! ;;)_

_Favs, Subscriptions, and comments are enjoyed SOOOO much! And I hope you all return to see the end! _


	5. Noticed

_When I upload this it might be a bit late for some of you. However, it's still within my daily updating time for me, so yay!_

_Not yay. This is the last chapter. I won't be able to see all your lovely hits anymore! _

_All of you readers were awesome. Seriously, if I knew all of you I'd give you big hugs and a thousand thank you's each. That's how much I appreciate you. ^^_

_This chapter is Canada-centric, which is weird compared to the rest of the story, huh?_

_I don't own Hetalia and I hope all of you enjoy the last chapter of _A Master and his Bear.

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><p>It was finally time.<p>

Time to wake up and get ready for the world meeting that was scheduled. Really, this wasn't a big deal to most of the countries. Inconvenient or boring perhaps, but not life-endingly terrible. It was a chance to catch up with friends they hadn't seen in a while because of work and have a nice laugh. The problem Mathieu faced was, well, he didn't have any friends to catch up with.

Still, going to the world meetings was something all countries had to do and Canada _was_ a country (even if no one remembered). There was always the chance that nations might actually notice him because of what had two months ago, but Mathieu really didn't want to talk about his failed suicide. He didn't even talk to the few reporters who continued to hound him after he got out of the hospital. The whole incident was somewhat embarrassing and actually made Mathieu feel weak by trying to take the easy way out of all the pain.

To start the day off, Mathieu made some good old pancakes and maple syrup for Kumajiro and himself. The breakfast woke both of them up so that they would remember the dreaded meeting they'd be attending. They tried to eat slowly to delay the inevitable, but the food was so good it took all the will power they had not to wolf it down.

After breakfast Kumajiro needed help to get all the syrup out of his fur. The sticky goo took a good thirty minutes to get removed, and even then the bear's fur still smelled like maple. If the meeting went like normal and Mathieu was ignored he knew he was going to be sniffing Kumajiro's fur the whole time.

Mathieu searched through his closet for something appropriate to wear. He reluctantly skipped over his comfy red sweatshirt and jeans and grabbed a tan suit. Slipping out of his warm pajamas and into the stiff suit made the personified country dread attending the meeting even more. He had been taking it easy ever since he got out of the hospital under orders from his boss and the sudden change wasn't a fun one.

Mathieu headed to the mud room to put on his brown boots and fur-trimmed coat. His goggles were securely snapped to his head and the personified nation was all ready to go.

"Come on Kuma! We're going to be late if we don't hurry!" The urgency in Mathieu's voice did nothing to hurry up the bear as he continued to leisurely stroll to his master with something in his mouth. Mathieu plucked the dark-brown objects from Kumajiro's mouth and found out they were gloves.

"Oh! Thank you Kuma. I almost forgot about these." The gloves were extremely important to Canada. They held no sentimental value that he could recall, but they covered up the scars on his wrists even better than his jacket.

He put the gloves on and picked Kumajiro up, _officially_ ready to go. A cool, fall wind hit the pair as soon as the door was opened. Taking a deep breath to prepare him for whatever was to come, Mathieu stepped onto his land and set out for America.

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><p>The building Alfred had for the world meetings in his country was huge and flashy. It would fit in just fine in Las Vegas with all its pointless flashing lights, but it was instead located in rural Northern Minnesota. The location caused every warm country to complain, but Alfred insisted it was the only place his people allowed him to place the building. Somehow the location was used only in the fall and winter, which only aggravated the warm countries even more. Mathieu, however, liked the place very much. It was similar to his own country and the few people who lived there were friendly.<p>

Mathieu approached the gaudy building and quietly went inside. The halls were empty, but the meeting room was packed. Countries were talking and wandering about the space, waiting for things to start up. Unsurprisingly, no one noticed Mathieu's arrival. Part of him was overjoyed things hadn't changed too much while the majority of him thought; _"Slitting my wrists and getting carried to the hospital by a polar bear isn't enough for you all to spare me a glance?"_

Mathieu found his chair and sat in it. He buried his nose in Kumajiro's fur, enjoying the scent it held. He was content being in his world of fur and maple syrup when an ominous presence entered the room. Unlike when Mathieu entered, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to the door to find Russia innocently smiling. People went back to their own business when they realized the giant nation was interested in terrorizing them.

Ivan stomped his way to Mathieu's seat, the ominous smile never wavering from his face. Mathieu waited to get sat on like usual, but instead found Ivan's smile looking down on him.

"Hello Am-Canada. How are you doing today?"

Mathieu held Kumajiro closer to his body as he realized Ivan was the one person he wished didn't remember who he was. "F-Fine. And you?"

Ivan's smile finally fell before he answered. "I'm a bit sad to tell you the truth. Every time I came to visit you in the hospital you were asleep. I'd watch you sleep for hours, but you never woke up. I thought you were dead."

The thought of Ivan watching Mathieu as he slept sent a shiver down his spine. "I-I'm sorry that I w-wasn't awake to s-see you. I d-didn't know that would make you s-sad."

Ivan laughed. "That's not why I'm sad! I'm sad because I thought you were dead, but here you are! Now your land isn't up for the taking. Boo."

A low growl came from Kumajiro's throat as a form of warning. Mathieu tried to calm Kumajiro down, but he was too upset to do a very good job. "Sorry to disappoint you. What do you want Ivan?"

The childlike smile returned to Ivan's face. "I've come to offer you to be one with Mother Russia. It's an amazing offer, da?"

"Uh… n-no thank you Ivan. I'm not interested in becoming-" Before Mathieu could finish, Ivan grabbed one of his wrists and pulled back the glove. Russia's violet eyes studied the scar eagerly while Canada tried to get his wrist away.

"You know, this sort of thing would never happen if you became one with Mother Russia. Family pays attention to one another in Mother Russia. Everyone is treated equally and no one is overlooked." Ivan finally let go of Mathieu's wrist and it hung in the air for a few seconds before Mathieu wrapped it around Kumajiro again.

The offer was tantalizing to Mathieu. Despite how scary Russia was, he did appear to notice the countries that had once been a part of him.

"_Perhaps… if you get to know Ivan better, he isn't so bad. That would explain why Lithuania and all of the other stayed so long…"_

"Okay everyone! The meetings going to start! So get to your seats!" Alfred's loud and obnoxious commands carried through the room and were followed reluctantly by all.

"Think about it." Ivan said as he too began to travel to his spot at the table. "I'll be expecting an answer at the end of the meeting."

"What's your ridiculous plan today Alfred?" Arthur asked once everyone had settled down.

"It's not 'ridiculous' Arty, it's going to be radical! But there's something even more important to address first."

Murmurs started all around the table, but only Arthur asked Alfred directly what he meant. "And… what could this important thing be, exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The American stood up on the table and walked over to his brother. "I want to show everyone my new little brother!"

"He isn't your new little brother, you twit! And get off the table!"

Alfred ignored the Englishman and held out his hand. "Come on up here with me Matty! No one can see you behind a polar bear!"

Mathieu was completely shocked by the sudden attention, especially since none of his family had contacted him since he got out of the hospital. He had been beat up about it at first, but eventually accepted that his family would never change and always be too busy to notice him. Alfred's crazy display was starting to make him think twice.

"Shouldn't you listen to Arthur and get-"

"Nonsense Matty!" Getting impatient, Alfred decided to pick his brother up and force him onto the table. "Arthur just likes spoiling my fun! Everyone, this is my little brother Canada! You aren't allowed to call him Mathieu because only family is allowed to do that!"

Mathieu stood there with his face in Kumajiro's fur. He wanted to be looked at, yes, but not gawked at by the entire room because of his brother. Ivan's offer was sounding greater every second he remained on the table.

"Cher Dieu Alfred." Arms wrapped around Mathieu's waist and pulled him back down to the safety of his chair. "Couldn't you tell you were embarrassing Mathieu instead of helping him?"

Alfred pouted and jumped down from the table. "Aw man Francis. You're just as much of a party pooper as Arthur."

"Don't call me that! I'm not a 'party pooper'; I'm trying to keep you from killing your little brother!"

Other countries started to back up Arthur's argument while most started side conversation about whatever they felt.

"Mathieu? Are you okay mon cher?" Francis asked tenderly. He straightened out Mathieu's clothes like a concerned mother and the gesture locked up the Canadian's vocal cords. All Mathieu could do was nod in response. "Good. I wouldn't want your brother to scar you for life."

Germany's patience ran out in no time at all and he brought the meeting back to order. Something eventful might have happened, but Mathieu was too lost in thought to notice.

Alfred had just completely embarrassed him, but he had good intentions. Francis had saved him from the embarrassing situation and even made sure he was alright. Arthur, though it didn't appear he did much, reminded Alfred he had had a little brother for quite some time and tried to keep the American from doing stupid things. It was a big difference from how Mathieu's family acted around him _before_ he went into the hospital.

"So you've come to a decision, da?" Mathieu jumped in his seat and snapped his head toward the smiling Ivan.

"I… I have."

"…And…?"

"And I'm going to have to decline, Ivan. I will stay as my own country."

This was obviously not the answer Ivan wanted. His smile stayed on his face, but his dark aura intensified one-hundred times. "That's fine. You are a weak country. I will take you the next time you try to take your life."

"Stay away from my master." Kumajiro snarled.

"See what I mean? The only protection you have is a puny bear. Your land will be mine in-"

"Hey Ivan!" Alfred placed himself between Russia and Canada and gave off an intense aura of his own. "What are you talking about with my brother?"

Francis and Arthur came and flanked Alfred. The four combined auras pressed down on Mathieu and made breathing slightly difficult. He might have suffocated if Russia didn't relax and return to normal.

"Nothing in particular. If Canada wishes to tell you he will." Ivan glanced at Mathieu one last time before walking away. The three men is front of Mathieu sighed in relief and turned their auras down.

"I know you aren't used to talking to the other countries Matty, but pissing off Ivan isn't a good idea." Alfred turned and smirked confidently. "I would know."

Mathieu nodded shyly. "Noted."

"What did you say to get him like that mon Mathieu?"

"I… he asked me earlier if I wanted to become one with Mother Russia and I told him no. I didn't know he'd get like… _that _so fast."

Alfred looked genuinely impressed and surprised. "You actually said no to his face?"

"Well, I said I was going to decline his offer-"

"Good job Matty! You're going to be a scary nation in no time!"

"Mathieu would never be scary, Alfred. He'll be strong, but not scary."

"Excuse me Angleterre, but Mathieu is already strong!"

"That's not what I-"

"Yeah Arty! Matty is super-duper strong and-"

"Don't call me Arty you-"

"You two are both so childish. Such horrible examples for Mathieu to-"

"Master?" Kumajiro looked up at Mathieu and asked. "Can we go home now?"

Mathieu looked at his still arguing family and nodded. "Sure. I'll call them when we get home so they don't freak out."

He got up from his chair and snuck away, his escape unnoticed by anyone in the room.

"You think they'll freak out Master?"

"They might feel bad for scaring me away by fighting." Kumajiro gave him and unconvinced look. "You never know! They're acting different lately."

"Different… good?"

"… Yeah, different good. And Kuma?"

"Hm?"

Mathieu held Kumajiro tighter. "Thanks for protecting me from Ivan."

Kumajiro felt his mouth twitch up. He didn't know why but thought it might have been his face trying to smile. "Of course Master. It's my job to protect you. That's what friends do, right?"

Mathieu rubbed his face in Kumajiro's fur and smiled. "Right."

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><p><em>Notes:<em>

_~What a delicious, unimaginative breakfast Kuma and Matty had, eh? X)_

_~Russia really creeped me out this chapter. To find out he watched Mathieu as he slept was… weird, wasn't it?_

_~ French Translations: Cher Dieu = Dear God, Angleterre = England, and mon = my._

_After story Notes:_

_~ Mathieu's family paid more attention to him and our little Canadian never tried to kill himself again. :D_

_~Ivan, on the other hand… he's planning something bad. I know it. I'm not going to write it, but if you want to imagine what happens next, it should probably be bad. _

_Once again, thank you all for reading. If you want to comment and tell me what you thought of the story as a whole that would be great. Favorites are also still loved, and I guess if you want to subscribe that's fine (but I don't know why you'd want to subscribe to a finished story)._

_Goodbye! _


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